Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-01
SUSPICION.

OiATy. 1ne Journal OF q sick nurse OuOhI
70 bs nearly As interesting as an old move
that l have read Il Am very fond Of novels
especially sensational ones), called "Th,
Diary OF Physician" and then am no,
an ordinary garde malade. as they vie
Us here in France. l am always called
Miss Morris, and / never take my meals
with the servants; and We sick nurses, ac-
cording to the sensational novels aforesaid,
have great opportunities Of witnessing
strange and tragic incidents, and of learn
Ing all about romanees in real life.
l wonder il l am not on the track Of a
real tragedy just now. 1t is ten days since
the Count de Niana came 10 engage me to
take charge Of his young wife and already
II seems TO me that her Illness has some
thing mysterious about it, The countess
is very pretty, even in her present wasted
and faded condition. She has large blue
eyes, and a profusion Of soft, shining fair
hair, and very delicate features. She is
extremely pale, and her lips are tinyed
with vivid and unnatural scarlet. But
she is extremely pretty, AN the same She
is an American by birth, and was the
daughter and only child Of Amos Lyddell.
/ the inventor and proprietor of the Lytidell
Hair Tonic, so she was a great heires In
| deed have heard her fortune was to I've
counted by millions.
| She has been i'll now, she told me, for
over three months. Such trying form
| OF illness, too. constant nausea, a burning
sensation in the stomach, inability to take
food, etc. She has had all the best doc
| tors in Europe 10 attend her, and not one
OF them can find out what ails her; Ihave
my suspicions-and mean to look about
me pretty sharply to see il there are any
grounds for me to go upon and 20 war
rant my interference In plain language,
il seems TO me as though the countess
was being slowly and gradually poisoned.
Now. who is it that is poisoning her,
Can ii he the count,
May 25.-I should not wonder IL it were
the count. never liked his looks from
the very first; good looking truly, with q
fine figure, big black eyes, and a soft.
silky looking, curly beard. Sof. and silky
-yes-like his manners. He is always
cooling over his poor sick little wife, and
wanting to carry her about in his arms
snd calling her his poor dear little Nellie
am afraid Of him. l must confess. His
sweetness and lovingness seem too much to
he real. Then, what is he doing half the
day in that room at the top of the house,
Whenever he is not in his wife's sick room
he is shut up there. And why did he come
out here to Passy to take a house. instead o.
engaging rooms in a fashionable and
central part OF Paris' 1t is all very well
to talk about fresh air for the invalid. Us
the counts valet, Antonio, did the other |
evening. Fresh air, indeed II is my |
opinion that he came here just TO get out |
of everybody's way and to carry out his |
nefarious designs where there was no pos |
ssh of Int II,
makes my heart ache 10 see that poor
young thing clinging about his neck. and |
to hear her calling him her darling Carlo.
1t makes me hate the very name OF Carlo.
have dog called that at home, and ] |
shall give it away as soon as get back.
And yet sometimes think may be
making . mistake: Mime. de Viana's
malady may be wholly natural. and even
ii it is not. have no proof that the count
has any hand in it. must be prudent,
and not let my imagination carry me
away.
May 2s.-The countess is rather better
today. She sat up for several hours, and
WAS strong enough to make quite an elab-
Drate toilet with the help OF her maid
She has put on . perfect love Of dress
ns gown in pale blue surah, trimmed
with white lace and ruby velvet-a pres
mt, she tells me, from her husband, on
he first anniversary Of her marriage.
The count is delighted at her improved
health. He Is going into Paris in an hour
,r two to get some medicine made up for
ler. II is q prescription given her by
French doctor, which did her . great deal
# good some months ago, when, as she
els me, she was afflicted with a terrible
'ruption on her forehead and her cheeks.
She discovered Q little redness near the
'orner Of her left eyebrow last night, and
kinks she had hest recommence the med
cine. Like all pretty women, the coun-
ess takes an exceeding degree Of care Of
Ter complexion whenever she is well
nough to think Of anything beside her
llness. She has been talking to me n
,reat deal about her life as q schoolgirl.
md her marriage, and the pleasant we'd
ling journey she made to Italy and Spain,
md how kind her husband has always
'een to her, and how dearly she loves
i'm. But then she told me something
hat has set me to thinking harder than
yer.
II have made my will, leaving Carlo
II my fortune when die, Sarah," she
aid. ''You see, have no near relations,
nd there is no one on earth that love SO
vell as I do my husband"
She chatted on for some time, and then |
ook some cream and . cup Of beef tea,
nd seemed stronger and better than she
las done at any time since came. About
O'Clock the count returned with the
'ottle Of medicine, and q beautiful bou-
[uet, and q basket of dollhouse strawber-
les, and a new novel by Hector Malot.
Ie quite frightened the sick room with
lis gifts and his presence. and he seemed
o pleased at hearing that Nine. di Viann
elt stronger and had been able to take
ome nourishment. Bravo, little wifern
ie cried, lifting her bodily of the lounge
n his great, strong arms tshe is not
'reat weight to lift, poor little creature,
0 lin and wasted is shel. I'VE shall I
ave you out driving in a week, and then ,
re may begin 10 think about u trip to
or to the seashore;" and then
le sat down in the American rocking ,
hair. and rocked and petted and muir I
nured TO the poor sick girl till she actu-
lily felf- asleep ON his shoulder.
Decidedly my suspicious have been both
'olish and wicked. Ishall burn my diary ,
; morrow and never think Of them again.
hat, this kind, affectionate gentleman Q s
Murderer Of his own wifef
is impossible! {
May 38-Oh, dear me! what a day We {
ave had Of it, and how utterly all my '
ewborn confidence in the count has been {
,attered to the four winds Of heaven! On
from the sleep into which her
usband had lulled her, Nine. N Viana '
eclxred that she felt so much better that
he would have a cup Of tea, and after I
ards some Of the strawberries the count q
I'D brought her. ! made the tea myself,
nd she seemed to enjoy it, and the straw l
erries as well. Then she took . dose ot
er medicine before retiring to rest. ard !
$50 glass Of mineral water, which she {
refers TO plain water, or even to Apol- {
naris or St. Galmier water. put all
,ese particulars down, trivial a. {
ley may seem, because / want to &
g sure that I remember everything just
) II occurred. For, two hours later, the '
,untess WAS taken SO violently i'll that '
lought at one time she would not 1--we 6
|